


Quiet

by Burntcactii



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Billy and Kyd are quiet and domestic even though the world is in chaos and thats that on that, M/M, This is the fluffiest thing I've ever written my GOD, also tag for kyd being awful and vulgar (not new), tag for marriage mention bc the hive like to make fun of them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:27:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25311586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burntcactii/pseuds/Burntcactii
Summary: Billy didn’t like that wording. They weren’t hiding. They just… didn’t need anyone to know. It made everything secret, special between them. They weren't hiding in that apartment, not by a longshot. They were protecting each other.orI just wanted to write a Kydnumerous fluff piece then my friend egged me on so now it's a two parter. Elliot was always quiet anyway, but Billy was a loudmouth. Except when it came to Elliot. He'd be quiet for him. He'd be soft for him, too.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Kyd Wykkyd's bones  _ ached _ . Every step felt laborious and difficult as he mashed his keys into the lock of his apartment door and blindly trudged through the rooms, making it to the bedroom easy. Kyd flung the bag he was carrying off to  _ wherever _ for future Elliot to deal with, before unceremoniously flopping all of his weight into the bed with a small 'oof', making the bed jump from his weight.

Everything was just  _ so sore _ . It was like he could feel the blood flowing back to his toes as his legs throbbed from so long fighting and running. He could feel the heat of his own breath smothering him in the blankets, but he couldn’t bring it out of him to care, at this point.

As the academy students grew and the HIVE changed with them, so did their priorities. Blood fell, toppled with the underwater academy so long ago when they were infiltrated by the Titans. After that scattered groups of their classmates banded together- Kyd and Billy banded with the HIVE Five. Eventually the HIVE Headmistress reached out to them, reclaiming her spot as head of the academy. Under her guidance, they could continue their crime sprees without stress of getting caught and being left to fend for themselves. Headmistress always had a backup plan of some sort. 

That’s all Kyd really cared about. Having fun. Not ruling the world or staking revenge. With all that was going on lately- metahumans being hunted, the Justice League losing their wits, the world seeming to fray every other Tuesday- it was easier to focus on that. Fun. 

Elliot was older now. The HIVE was older now. Destiny would come for them eventually. The world was basically branching into more and more chaos these days, and morals or not, Elliot and his friends  _ were _ metahumans. The world was shit, to them especially, but they wouldn't be able to watch it end if the need for their skills arose.

The HIVE Headmistress sent them out on missions that were challenging and specifically designed for individual skillsets, but were also fun and catered to their personal goals. 

Needless to say, Elliot liked her leagues more than Blood. 

“Good evenin’ to you too, buttercup.” rumbled a sarcastic but amused voice as Billy finally took notice of the limp body on his bed. 

Elliot groaned weakly and shifted some, trying to communicate his plight.

Billy merely snorted at Elliot’s weak attempt and moved to sit cross legged in front of him, gently pulling down his newly redesigned mask to stroke his hair. He smiled warmly where Elliot couldn’t see when he saw how Elliot sighed and melted at the contact. 

“Another solo mission?” He asked, still distractedly petting at Elliot’s hair and chuckling when he got a weak nod in response. “What was it this time? The Wayne facility again?” 

“Blood’s stash.” Elliot sighed, finally turning to sleepily look at Billy while he talked, half his face still smashed into the covers.

Billy winced, hissing in sympathy. “I mean… on the bright side, she must really think you’re somethin’ special, huh? Sending you after all that?” 

Elliot rolled his eyes and huffed. “Special or expendable.” He hummed. “Dunno why she even cares about that stuff.”

“Because you do.” Billy answered simply. Elliot knew he was right. Blood was long gone, but there were rumors that he had a sanctuary somewhere with every plan, database, and confiscated item from the HIVE academy he’d left behind. 

“It wasn’t a complete failure...m’ just tired.” Elliot mumbled before forcing himself into a sitting position and rolling his neck around. “Go get your guitar.” He demanded, leaving no room for argument.

Billy gave him a ‘who made you the boss’ sort of look, before Elliot teasingly smirked at him. “Sorry, forgot you still don’t speak  _ city _ . Go get your  _ gee-tar _ .” earning him an annoyed huff and a punch in the shoulder as he laughed.

“Whaddya want me ta’ play?” Billy asked warmly coming to sit on the edge of the bed and relaxing into a near natural position, leaning back into Elliot, who was already practically melting into his muscular back and tiredly leaning his head on the crook of Billy’s neck. 

Elliot sighed, seeming to release the final tension in his body as he snaked his arms around Billy’s torso and relaxed against him.

Call him mean, but Billy lived for when Elliot got like this. El had  _ never _ been a very physically close person. But all those walls seemed to just crumble when he was dead tired from a mission.

Or, when Billy was being sweet on him, when they were alone.

You learn a lot about a person, when you hide your relationship with that person from the world for so long.

Billy didn’t like that wording. They weren’t hiding. They just… didn’t  _ need _ anyone to know. It made everything sacred, special between them. No one knew how close Kyd curled up to him when Billy brought out his guitar. No one knew how sweet Elliot smiled in the morning when he thought Billy was still asleep. No one knew how many times Elliot had counted the freckles on Billy’s shoulder while Billy just vented everything out. 

No one knew about those special moments but Billy. They were  _ his _ , and they were special.

They weren’t  _ hiding _ in that apartment they’d moved in together, not by a longshot. They were protecting each other.

“You’re thinking too loud.” Elliot said worriedly, his breath brushing Billy’s ear before he leaned back and worriedly tucked a tuft of Billy’s hair behind his ear. 

“Tell me what’cha want to hear, then.” Billy near-whispered, leaning so the sides of their faces brushed. “You’re thinkin’ too loud, too.”

“Anything you want.” Elliot said, smiling like an imp as he brought his arms up to wrap them around Billy’s shoulders, instead, and holding a small triangle-shaped ornament in front of him. “Just wanted an excuse to give you a souvenir from Blood’s collection.”

“My-” Billy gasped, taking the guitar pick in hand and smoothing it over his fingers delicately. “My guitar pick… the one you made me- how did you-”

“I said the mission was rough, not that it was a failure.” Elliot hummed teasingly.

Billy huffed a laugh as he turned it over and over again in his hands, leaning into Elliot again. “You spent so long tryin’a make this thing- you kept freakin’ out anytime I came near ya cause’ you thought I’d find out.” 

Elliot gave a happy hum at the memory, cracking a rare smile. “May 14th. We’d been dating for two years. I stressed over what to give you for months just for you to turn it into a necklace and say something sappy like ‘now everyone can see how pretty too’.”

Billy snorted, holding up the pick again. “Well look El, it’s not like I coulda played with the damn thing! It shaped more like a walnut than a guitar pick!” 

Elliot outrightly laughed, punching Billy in the arm before he set down the guitar and dragged Elliot to lay down with him on the bed, softly massaging the ache out of Elliot’s sore muscles as he relaxed into him. 

“D’ya think they ever found out?” Billy asked distantly. 

“The Five? Can’t say I care if they did. We were so obvious back then, they must’ve been dumb as rocks.” Elliot said with a snark. 

Billy snorted at that, Elliot smiling as his breathing evened out and he brought his legs to wrap around William’s. 

“Cute,” Billy said quietly, shaking Elliot awake. “But I’m not sleeping with you when you ain’t showered yet.” 

“Mean.” Elliot mumbled scowling at the wall. 

"C'mon, buttercup." Billy goaded, standing to pull Elliot into a sitting position by his lanky arms. 

"Don't call me that." Kyd grumbled with a scowl, resisting all the way. 

"You need me to carry you?" Billy half teased, going to wrap his arms around Elliot's waist as if he were going to heave him up carelessly over his shoulder. Billy got mad grumblings and pathetic attempts at slapping him away in response until Elliot finally dragged himself into the bathroom, only to sit pathetic-looking on the counter while Billy ran water. 

"Ya know, I distinctly remember this happenin' in reverse back at the academy." He teased, moving Elliot's legs out of the way so he could reach a towel under the sink. 

"That doesn't count," Kyd whined. "All those times were self inflicted, you basically begged people to get into fights with you back then."

"And now?" Billy asked, making an accusatory face. 

Elliot smiled, pretending to mull it over. "Still deciding whether you  _ mean _ to make bad with everyone you meet."

Billy huffed before making a small show of moving to fit next to Elliot on the small counter, smiling in surprise when Elliot let all of his weight fall into his shoulder.

"Did you ever think we'd end up like this?" Elliot asked to the ceiling, fidgeting with the hem of Billy's flannel.

"Sitting on a cramped bathroom sink while you make me run you water?" Billy snarked, getting a huffed roll of eyes and a small jab to his ribs in response. 

" _ Together _ , I mean." Billy gave him a confusedly suspicious look. "We  _ hated _ each other when we first met. Now we live together. No HIVE, no Blood, no Titans. Just… us." He continued, like he was surprising himself. 

"Are you...happy?" Billy asked, quietly. Elliot froze when he saw he'd made Will insecure. "Of course I am! I just mean-" Elliot sighed. "I never _expected_ to be happy. To be taken care of and… content _,_ I guess _."_

Billy frowned when he saw Elliot getting trapped in that mental vortex again, nudging him and smiling. "You remember the first time we met?" 

Elliot snorted, shaking against Billy with quiet laughter. "God, I wish I could  _ forget _ . It was a nightmare."

"You were still in that phase where you thought everyone who  _ looked _ at ya wanted to fight." Billy said with a fond smile. 

"Well, you gave me one, at least." Elliot hummed. "All I remember was that you were the first to be able to pin me. Why was that again?"

"Ah, everyone's got their weaknesses. Same concept as before," Billy teased, pulling on a strand of Elliot's hair. "Go for the hair. Made ya yell like a prarie dog before you basically  _ pounced _ on me." 

Elliot laughed, batting his hand away. 

"I can't even remember how that fight started. Which one of us threw the first punch?" He asked.

Billy got defensive  _ immediately _ . "Oh it was  _ definitely _ you- won't forget that high kick for the life a' me." 

"Oh, you don't know that!" Elliot argued. 

"I do! Ya called me that stupid name and then kicked me like a damn goat!"

Elliot snorted, dissolving into giggles as he leaned to look up at Billy, who was, and had always been, taller. 

"Stupid cowboy." He said with a warm smile. 

Billy returned it. "Petty thief." He said before leaning down to place a kiss on Elliot's forehead. 

The world was still crumbling around them, and it was scary. Metahumans disappearing off the streets, no contact with any of their old allies. The only thing they  _ could _ do to protect their own psyche was to focus on the fun. And each other.

Luckily, living in their own bubbles of just each other was something they'd done for a while now. 


	2. Chapter 2

It was… thrilling, fighting alongside a team again. 

The world nearly ended. Metahumans of all moralities came crawling out the woodwork to fight alongside not only Titans, but full fledged league members. Destiny called.

Kyd hadn't seen his fellow fivers in  _ years _ . Jinx had gone AWOL, See started working as a tech merc for whoever would hide him. Some small part of him came to terms a long time ago with the reality that Baran and Giz were dead. 

But here they stood. Panting, ragged from the battle, and barely standing. But standing, nonetheless. It was like seeing ghosts. His lost friends gaped at Kyd just the same. With no battle, no life or death… they were left with what to say to people you'd assumed were better dead. 

Jinx could gape all she wanted. Mammoth too. That wasn't who Elliot was concerned about in that moment. 

Billy opened his mouth like he were going to say something, maybe finally break the ice, but was cut off by Kyd flinging himself into a hug.

He was practically shaking. 

"Quite a light show, for the end of the world, huh?" Billy asked quiet, soothingly rubbing up and down Elliots back like he'd memorized how. Just reminding him he was  _ here _ as the shaking died down and he squeezed Billy like he'd drift away. 

"I'll-" Kyd gulped, trying to regain his senses. Focusing on the playful comment. "I'll try not to say it but- I told you so."

Billy huffed. "And I told you I'd be fine. I'm here, aren't I? It's okay." Kyd was near tears, still gasping for breath. He must've looked pathetic. When did one person become so important that the thought of losing them affected him  _ this _ much?

"Never-" Kyd warbled, forcing strength before finally looking up at Billy and taking him sternly by the sides of his face. " _ Never _ do something like that  _ again, _ William. Please."

Billy huffed, knowing he'd already lost the argument. "What'd you want me ta' do, leave the whole world high and dry?"

Elliot pulled him in close again, hiding his tears where Billy couldn't see. "The world- can  _ burn _ before they take you away from me. Just please-  _ promise me-" _

Billy took him by the shoulders and mimicked Kyd's face grip. "I'm here. And I'm not goin' anywhere darlin'. Gonna take a lot more than a parademon invasion to get rid ah' me."

Kyds tears lost their will to stay put as he laughed mirthlessly and gripped Billy's hands like they were his last grip on reality, hiccupping when the calloused tips curled around his face sweetly. 

Kyd sniffled, wiping his face before smiling up at Billy, who looked at him confused. 

Elliot shook his head exasperatedly, his voice hoarse and warbly from crying. "Stupid cowboy." He said dismissively, as if that would answer everything. 

Billy rubbed his fingers against Elliot's face gently with a smirk. "Petty thief."

They met halfway for a deep, soft kiss they melted perfectly natural into. Elliot sighed into it as Billy brought him as close as possible. Having this much emotion in one day was exhausting. Billy played it off with joking, but by the way he was holding Elliot like he'd slip away if his hold wasnt tight enough, he was plenty emotionally exhausted too. 

They were lost in it. In relief, in teary eyed joy, in each other. 

It was SeeMore's loud and alarmed "YO!" that jerked them to reality. 

Billy seemed perfectly content with their current position, but Kyd jerked away with a panicked sound and immediately got into a defensive position against the Five, embarrassingly shooing Billy's hands off his waist without breaking glare with his former peers. 

Kyd expected… something. Accusation. Defensiveness, maybe? The HIVE Five were left gaping at them. Mammoth at least held a finger up and opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, only to hum and close it again, finger falling weakly away. 

Gizmo was making a face and grumbling, covering his eyes like a child who'd seen their parents kiss in public would. Jinx was just  _ gaping _ . SeeMore was also gaping but seemed oddly… ecstatic? 

"You owe me 20 bucks!" He yelled excitedly, pumping his fist in the air. 

"Sonnofa _ bitch _ !" Mammoth swore, stomping the ground as he pulled out a wallet.

"How- I guess- I didn't know you guys even…  _ liked _ each other." Jinx said finally, looking at them bizarrely.

"I told you they were dumb as rocks." Kyd hissed. 

Billy stepped forward, attempting to explain. "Ah- ah' guess we just didn't know how to break it to y'all…  _ gentle _ -"

"We've been sleeping together for almost a year now!" Elliot yelled with a wide smile as Jinx fell further into distress. 

Billy slapped a hand over Elliot's mouth, glaring. " _ Definitely not like that!" _ He seethed. 

"So- ah-" SeeMore stammered, uneasily trying to find his words. "How long have y'all known you were… I mean-"

Mammoth put a large hand on his shoulder before sagely pronouncing "How long have you been  _ cowboy and salooner _ ?" 

Billy could feel Elliot's eyebrow twitching in agitation. "I'm starting to remember why we left." He said, still muffled by Billy's hand.

"Be nice." Billy scolded. "It's not that we were… tryna' hide from y'all or nothing. We just… didn't  _ need _ to tell y'all. It never seemed important. We just… had each other. That was enough." 

"Wait," Jinx said, finally getting a grip on her senses. "You say that like this has…  _ already been a thing _ for a while."

Elliot sighed, smacking Billy's hands off his mouth and rolling his eyes. "You remember the school dance? From the academy?"

"Of course." Jinx said, smiling. "You came to my room crying like a baby about some crisis you were having because someone…" Jinx's face fell as pieces fell into place. "...told you you were… a petty… thief." 

There was a tense silence as this information and just how  _ long _ they'd been together in front of everyone's face sunk in. 

Elliot was the one to break it. "You really are the  _ dumbest _ group of people I've ever met." Billy promptly covered his mouth again. 

"So-" SeeMore began, trying to wrap his head around it all. "Y'all have been together? This  _ whole time _ ?"

"Is it really that hard to believe?" Billy asked sheepishly. 

"You fought over everything in the academy! You used to pull his hair in the Five! You narked on each other for  _ everything _ when we were the five!" SeeMore stressed, steadily getting more and more worked up. 

"We  _ also _ snuck into each other's rooms every night. And paired off for everything. And held hands right behind y'all's backs. And-" 

"Alright, alright!" SeeMore yelled, feeling dumber by the minute.

"But…" Mammoth spoke up. "You're  _ not _ hiding anymore. So… what now?"

There was a tense silence, before a million questions were shot like gunfire at once.

"Are we invited to the wedding?"

"Can I help plan it?"

"Y'all don't live in Alabama or something do you?"

"How many cats did you let Bat Brat over here get?"

"Does this mean I can finally call you names and be sweet on you in public?"

Elliot massaged his temples for a moment before angrily and swiftly turning to Jinx, then Mammoth, then Seemore, then Gizmo, in that order. 

"We are  _ not _ getting married- I'll think about it- no- one- and-" Elliot turned sternly back to Billy, planning a swift ' _ no _ ' but breaking at his excited smile. " _ Inconclusive _ ." Is all he said, instead. 

Billy took that as a 'yes', because of  _ course  _ he did. 

Before Elliot could do much to stop it, the five were roarously laughing as Billy picked him up bridal style and planted kiss after kiss on his cheek. "Stop-  _ you're so embarrassing-! William Burkley Strayer!"  _ He yelled helplessly as he tried to squirm away. 

"Well ya ain't pushin' me away!" Billy whined, confused. 

Elliot groaned as another round of laughter erupted. 

"We're not even married and I already want a divorce." He grumbled, glaring.

Despite the growing tension and embarrassment, things felt...nice. familiar. 

Things weren't the same. They'd all been through so much. They'd all said some things when they parted ways. There was no Blood anymore, no Headmistress. No secrets. 

Things were familiar but… better, Elliot thought. 

They still had things to work through. Whatever emotional baggage they'd brought with them. Whatever open ended story they'd written while away. Whatever they were going to do about selflessly acting like  _ heroes _ when it mattered most but ultimately still being wanted. 

But Elliot couldn't help but smile at his friends laughing faces. 

They always were good at winging it and hoping for the best. 


End file.
